Hard, bony lump on rib?

I recently went to the doctor because of some pain I was having on the right half of my rib cage and my back. I was diagnosed with costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage, caused by sever coughing, getting hit, even laughing) and I was put on a steroid to reduce the swelling. One evening I was massaging my aching side when I came across a lump on one of my ribs...I had never noticed it before. It's hard and smooth, and it feels like it's part of the rib, but it kind of sticks out, and it's not on my other side. It's not visible, I have to feel for it, but it is definitely noticeable. I went back to the doc to get it checked out, and she felt of it and said that "it feels like part of your rib". I had also had some x-rays done earlier that week for the costochondritis, and she looked at those and said that they were fine...and that if it were cancer it would most likely show up as bone deterioration.

But despite this, it still has me very worried, because in all my internet searches, I can't find a cause for it other than some kind of horrible cancer...I don't have any of the telltale symptoms for cancer (night sweats, rapid weight loss, loss of apatite, bruising, anemia, fatigue, high fever, nausea, vomiting, etc) but the lump is to large to ignore. It's probably about the size of a quarter, maybe a half dollar. The lump seems to be confined to just one rib. Oh, and it's not really painful to the touch, but it's hard to tell, because I've been poking at it so much.

Does anybody know what it could be? Do ribs sometimes just grow like that? I'm a 17 year old male, by the way, and something of a hypochondriac.

Thanks in advance,
~Connor

[iam1butterfly]

What you described almost sounds exactly what my mom recently had. Last year, about 1/2 way through her chemotherapy, she felt a hard solid lump on her rib, just below her right breast. It didn't seem to hurt her unless she pressed or tried to squeeze it. But, it was quite visible and she was clearly concerned by the timing of it's appearance (during chemotherapy) and growth (it grew to about the size of a quarter in circumference). Her oncologist examined this "nodule" (that's what he called it). And, noted that it didn't show up on her CT scan or PET scan. So, he was didn't know if it was related to her Cancer or the chemotherapy. He suggested that she have her surgeon biopsy it. Well, before it could be biopsied it began to shrink and it is now gone. Other than it it being called a "nodule," we never got an answer as to the nature of its appearance or an explanation for its peculiar disappearance. Hopefully, yours will disappear too. Good luck!

[magazinexgore]

I'm a 17 year old hypochondriac too. I have a small lump on my rib cage && i'm quite scared. I haven't gone to the doc but..should i be worried?

[Tamama]

What happened with your lump? My husband has the same thing and I'm trying to figure it out. (Won't have insurance until January). Hope that you found out what it was/is.

[leanne1234]

I have a lump on the left hand side of my rib, i didnt notice it until i seen a bruise that randomly appeared without even banging myself. I have been doctors and had to have a blood test done, just awaiting results.Im worried to.